How to stay alive: Streetwise survival skills, not self-defence, the complete protection for women
1 September 2010
By: T.K. LETCHUMY TAMBOO (Malay Mail)
KUALA LUMPUR: Many women have the wrong perception that surviving an attack is all about having self-defence skills.
Said Balasupramaniam Krishnan, also known as Captain Bala, a safety activist and expert in crimes against women and girls: "You can be a black-belt holder in Taekwondo and still be at a loss when being attacked."
"For instance, Canny Ong Lay Kian, who was raped and murdered seven years ago, was a black-belt holder in Taekwondo but the gruesome incident still happened to her. This is where survival skills come into play. Surviving a dangerous situation is crucial as the wrong move can cost a life."
In his latest venture, Balasupramaniam, who claimed to have trained more than 100,000 women held a four-hour city survival programme for women at the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) auditorium in Pandan Indah here last Saturday.
Among topics he shared with the 150 women in the programme, are how to identify danger, how to avoid being victims to conmen who use hypnotism, how to apply rape prevention techniques and how to detect spy cameras in changing rooms.
During the programme, some women cringed and gasped in shock at the gory pictures of brutal crimes men commit against women.
"In dangerous situations, you have to know how to negotiate. You must be a strategist. If you know how to do that, you will survive. In emergency cases, always trust yourselves first. Other people should be trusted only 49 per cent as you do not know what will happen next," said Balasupramaniam.
The city survival programme is jointly organised by the Ong Tee Keat Service Centre, Persatuan Belia Rakan Nusa and Yayasan Bakti Nusa to educate, enlighten and empower women on being streetwise to safeguard themselves and their loved ones.
Pandan MP Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said the initiative for the programme came after discussions with Women, Family and Community Development Deputy Minister Senator Heng Seai Kie.
"This is not the first time we are conducting this social caring initiative to protect women in Pandan. Three years ago, we did two sessions of a similar programme. We hope it will be conducted continuously not only in Pandan but nationwide," he said when speaking to reporters after the event.
Ong said when they first got involved in the programme, some people were sceptical and laughed. Undeterred, they carried on because the protection of women was of common concern.
"Women protection is among key areas of concern we are looking at. We also look at protecting the interest of children as well as the issue of abandoned babies.
"We are working with several NGOs to place baby cots at their premises. We will alert police and the Welfare Department when mothers leave their babies in the cots anonymously. To date, we have identified eight venues where we place the baby cots," he said, adding that those who dump babies should face the music.
